Romanian rock
Encyclopedia
Romanian rock is a genre of popular music
in Romania
. It was influenced by changes in Romanian
politics
to such an extreme, that both the themes and styles of musicians, and the tastes and interests of listeners, changed dramatically with every major event in Romania's internal politics.
As a result, the rock music
that is currently performed in Romania features a politically-influenced profile that equipoised censorship
policies in communist Romania
(before 1990
) and reacted promptly to social issues that followed during the economic transition
.
However, the strict government regulations practised in Romania during the Nicolae Ceauşescu
era determined a very specific sound in popular music, partly favourable for its originality. Music and new technologies from abroad reached Romanian listeners and artists with difficulty – this was a moderate handicap to music production and sometimes produced slightly unfashionable records (when compared to Western interests). These conditions continued to have a strong influence even on music produced for many years afterward.
against Western culture
. In 1971, this fear culminated with the famous July Theses
. Thanks to its growing popularity, rock music was regulated, but allowed to flourish in Romania, often triggering a generation gap not dissimilar to that of the West or other Eastern European countries.
didn't really gain solid ground in Romania until the early 1960s. During the 1950s, all art forms were highly influenced with proletkult
. The 1950s' vogue in music was latin jazz
and tango
. The music could hardly accommodate lyrics about workers on gantries
or farm
s; the mixture was sometimes thought of as inventive, but it mostly resembled kitsch
.
Little is known about the beginning of rock music in Romania; however, some of the earliest artists were: Uranus (founded in 1961, in Timişoara
), Cometele (en
. "The Comets", 1962, Bucharest
),, Sfinţii
(en
. "the saint
s", 1962, Timişoara
), Entuziaştii (en. "The Enthusiasts", 1963, Bucharest). Such early bands survived for only a couple of years (Except for Sfinţii, who later became Transsylvania Phoenix
and is still active), but the musicians carried on playing in other bands, soon to become famous. The rock trend started in Romania with The Young Ones
(1961), a feature film
starring singer Cliff Richard
.
Rock music was actually seldom called by its name in Romania (and in other East European countries); however, the term beat
was sometimes used instead (this was also the name of an EP
s series, released in the late 1960s). However, rock bands were much more often referred to as "electric guitar bands" (ro
. formaţii de chitare electrice). The use of alternative names in the 1960s does not mean that the term "rock" was banned or avoided, but shows that there was a different perspective on the whole phenomenon.
s of Western music were requested by Electrecord
itself (the state recording label), in order to increase disc sales.
In 1971, President Nicolae Ceauşescu
delivered the so-called "July Theses
some of whose objectives demanded reorientation of all cultural interests towards national values and treasures. In fact, the July Theses inaugurated a "mini cultural revolution
"; the Romanian rock scene was suddenly confronted with many nascent issues that they had not faced before. Singing in foreign languages was now restricted to other Romance languages, such as French and Italian, or to fellow socialist bloc languages.
and Peninsula / Félsziget Festival
further helped with the popularization of Romanian rock, including to neighboring countries, such as Bulgaria
and Hungary
.
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. It was influenced by changes in Romanian
Politics of Romania
Politics of Romania take place in a framework of a semi-presidential parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Romania is the head of government and the President of Romania exercises the functions of head of state. Romania has a multi-party system. Executive...
politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
to such an extreme, that both the themes and styles of musicians, and the tastes and interests of listeners, changed dramatically with every major event in Romania's internal politics.
As a result, the rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
that is currently performed in Romania features a politically-influenced profile that equipoised censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
policies in communist Romania
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
(before 1990
Romanian Revolution of 1989
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
) and reacted promptly to social issues that followed during the economic transition
Transition economy
A transition economy or transitional economy is an economy which is changing from a centrally planned economy to a free market. Transition economies undergo economic liberalization, where market forces set prices rather than a central planning organization and trade barriers are removed,...
.
However, the strict government regulations practised in Romania during the Nicolae Ceauşescu
Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
era determined a very specific sound in popular music, partly favourable for its originality. Music and new technologies from abroad reached Romanian listeners and artists with difficulty – this was a moderate handicap to music production and sometimes produced slightly unfashionable records (when compared to Western interests). These conditions continued to have a strong influence even on music produced for many years afterward.
History
Rock music, which rapidly gained momentum during the 1960s in communist Romania, was a rather controversial topic, mainly because of the regime's propagandaPropaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
against Western culture
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
. In 1971, this fear culminated with the famous July Theses
July Theses
The July Theses is a name commonly given to a speech delivered by Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu on July 6, 1971, before the Executive Committee of the Romanian Communist Party...
. Thanks to its growing popularity, rock music was regulated, but allowed to flourish in Romania, often triggering a generation gap not dissimilar to that of the West or other Eastern European countries.
“Electric guitar bands”
Rock and rollRock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
didn't really gain solid ground in Romania until the early 1960s. During the 1950s, all art forms were highly influenced with proletkult
Proletkult
Proletkult was movement which arose in the Russian revolution and was active from 1917 to 1925 which aspired to provide the foundations for what was intended to be a truly proletarian art devoid of bourgeois influence.The name is a portmanteau of "proletarskaya kultura" , which are better-known as...
. The 1950s' vogue in music was latin jazz
Latin jazz
Latin jazz is the general term given to jazz with Latin American rhythms.The three main categories of Latin Jazz are Brazilian, Cuban and Puerto Rican:# Brazilian Latin Jazz includes bossa nova...
and tango
Tango music
Tango is a style of ballroom dance music in 2/4 or 4/4 time that originated among European immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay . It is traditionally played by a sextet, known as the orquesta típica, which includes two violins, piano, double bass, and two bandoneons...
. The music could hardly accommodate lyrics about workers on gantries
Gantry
Gantry may refer to:*Gantry crane, a crane having a hoist fitted in a trolley for parallel movement*Gantry , the frame which encloses and services a rocket at its launch pad*Gantry , an overhead assembly on which highway signs are posted...
or farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
s; the mixture was sometimes thought of as inventive, but it mostly resembled kitsch
Kitsch
Kitsch is a form of art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art or a worthless imitation of art of recognized value. The concept is associated with the deliberate use of elements that may be thought of as cultural icons while making cheap mass-produced objects that...
.
Little is known about the beginning of rock music in Romania; however, some of the earliest artists were: Uranus (founded in 1961, in Timişoara
Timisoara
Timișoara is the capital city of Timiș County, in western Romania. One of the largest Romanian cities, with an estimated population of 311,586 inhabitants , and considered the informal capital city of the historical region of Banat, Timișoara is the main social, economic and cultural center in the...
), Cometele (en
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. "The Comets", 1962, Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
),, Sfinţii
Transsylvania Phoenix
Transsylvania Phoenix is a Romanian rock band formed in 1962 in Timişoara by guitarists Nicu Covaci and Kamocsa Béla. Guitarist Claudiu Rotaru, vocalist Florin "Moni" Bordeianu and drummer Ioan "Pilu" Ştefanovici completed the early lineup...
(en
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. "the saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s", 1962, Timişoara
Timisoara
Timișoara is the capital city of Timiș County, in western Romania. One of the largest Romanian cities, with an estimated population of 311,586 inhabitants , and considered the informal capital city of the historical region of Banat, Timișoara is the main social, economic and cultural center in the...
), Entuziaştii (en. "The Enthusiasts", 1963, Bucharest). Such early bands survived for only a couple of years (Except for Sfinţii, who later became Transsylvania Phoenix
Transsylvania Phoenix
Transsylvania Phoenix is a Romanian rock band formed in 1962 in Timişoara by guitarists Nicu Covaci and Kamocsa Béla. Guitarist Claudiu Rotaru, vocalist Florin "Moni" Bordeianu and drummer Ioan "Pilu" Ştefanovici completed the early lineup...
and is still active), but the musicians carried on playing in other bands, soon to become famous. The rock trend started in Romania with The Young Ones
The Young Ones (film)
The Young Ones is a British musical released in 1961, featuring singer Cliff Richard. The musical was directed by Sidney J. Furie and was produced by Kenneth Harper and Andrew Mitchell for the Associated British Studios at Elstree. The original screenplay was written by Peter Myers and Ronald...
(1961), a feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
starring singer Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
.
Rock music was actually seldom called by its name in Romania (and in other East European countries); however, the term beat
Beat music
Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a pop and rock music genre that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1960s. Beat music is a fusion of rock and roll, doo wop, skiffle, R&B and soul...
was sometimes used instead (this was also the name of an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s series, released in the late 1960s). However, rock bands were much more often referred to as "electric guitar bands" (ro
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
. formaţii de chitare electrice). The use of alternative names in the 1960s does not mean that the term "rock" was banned or avoided, but shows that there was a different perspective on the whole phenomenon.
Aftermath of the July Theses
All through the 1960s, Romanian rock bands were permitted to sing in English or other foreign languages; moreover, coverCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of Western music were requested by Electrecord
Electrecord
Electrecord is a Romanian record label founded in 1932. It served as the only record label in Communist Romania. It was then transformed into the national recording company, following the centralization-oriented socialist doctrine...
itself (the state recording label), in order to increase disc sales.
In 1971, President Nicolae Ceauşescu
Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
delivered the so-called "July Theses
July Theses
The July Theses is a name commonly given to a speech delivered by Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu on July 6, 1971, before the Executive Committee of the Romanian Communist Party...
some of whose objectives demanded reorientation of all cultural interests towards national values and treasures. In fact, the July Theses inaugurated a "mini cultural revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
"; the Romanian rock scene was suddenly confronted with many nascent issues that they had not faced before. Singing in foreign languages was now restricted to other Romance languages, such as French and Italian, or to fellow socialist bloc languages.
Post-communist era
With the disappearance of state censorship after the 1989 revolution, the Romanian rock scene saw a period of diversification and liberalization. Themes previously considered inappropriate by the authorities could now be explored, and numerous new bands and artists came to prominence. Music festivals such as StufstockStufstock
Stufstock is a music festival that has taken place each year since 2003 in Vama Veche, Dobrogea, Romania, to protest against what some people may consider bad quality music Stufstock (Stuf - Romanian for reed - and stock from Woodstock) is a music festival that has taken place each year since 2003...
and Peninsula / Félsziget Festival
Peninsula / Félsziget Festival
Peninsula / Félsziget is a music festival taking place annually in July or August in Târgu Mureş, Transylvania, Romania.- History :The first edition of the festival goes back to 2003...
further helped with the popularization of Romanian rock, including to neighboring countries, such as Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
.
Notable bands
- AccentAccent (band)Accent was a Belarusian heavy metal band from the city of Minsk. The band played an important role in the development of contemporary music in Belarus.-Early years :...
- AltarAltar (Romanian band)Altar is a Romanian metal band from Cluj Napoca, that formed in 1991. After a couple of local shows, the band had their first national concert at the '91 Samrock Festival, where they won the prize for the most popular band. After the performance at the Timişoara '92 Studfest, Altar was considered...
- Bucovina
- ByronByron (band)byron is an alternative rock band formed in 2006 in Bucharest, Romania. Dan Byron, former guest of Agathodaimon and ex-member of Urma and Kumm, initially wanted to start a solo project, but it soon developed into an actual band...
- CargoCargo (band)Cargo is a well known Romanian Heavy Metal band from Timişoara, founded by guitarist Adrian Bărar in 1985.-Biography:Two of the current members are from Arad - Adrian Igrişan and Octavian Pilan , one is from Hunedoara - Cristian Pup and another one is from Deva - Alin Achim - but they are all...
- Catena
- Celelalte CuvinteCelelalte CuvinteCelelalte Cuvinte is a Romanian rock band from Oradea, founded in December 1981, in Timişoara and still active to this day...
- Echo
- FFN
- GrimusGrimus (band)Grimus is an alternative rock band from Cluj-Napoca, Romania.- History :While studying in Cluj-Napoca, the members started out as the 5-piece rock band Revers. In 2006, after having suffered multiple changes in the lineup, Grimus released a demo album. Their song Solitude is declared Song of the...
- Implant pentru refuz
- IRISIRIS (Romanian band)Iris is a Romanian hard rock band established in 1977 by Ioan Dumitrescu , Ion Olteanu and Emil Lechinţeanu...
- Krypton
- KummKumm (band)Kumm are a Romanian alternative rock band formed in Cluj in 1997. The band currently consist of Cătălin Mocan , Eugen "Oigăn" Nuţescu , Kovács András , Mihai Iordache , Uțu Pascu and John Ciurea...
- Les Elephants Bizarres
- Luna AmarăLuna AmaraLuna Amară is a Romanian alternative rock/grunge band. The name means "Bitter Moon" in Romanian, and is borrowed from the Roman Polanski movie of the same name, inspired by the eponymous novel written by Pascal Bruckner.-History:...
- M.S.
- MagicaMagica (band)Magica is a Romanian female-fronted power metal band.- History :Magica started in February 2002 as a project of Bogdan Costea, guitarist of a local gothic metal band, Interitus Dei. The reason for starting this band was Bogdan's desire to play the music that he likes: heavy metal & melodic...
- Mondial
- Negură BungetNegura Bunget-Biography:Negură Bunget formed at the end of 1994, as a duo, with Hupogrammos Disciple on guitars, vocals, and keyboards, and Negru on drums. In 1997, Sol'Faur Spurcatu joined the group on guitar...
- Olympic '64
- Omul cu şobolaniOmul cu şobolaniOmul cu şobolani is a 4 piece alternative band from Romania, formed in Constanţa in 1997. They were nominated best rock band at the MTV Romanian awards in 2006.- Discography :* Razna #"Vara pe oliţă"#"Stânga"#"Cuibul oral"...
- Progresiv TMProgresiv TMProgresiv TM was a Romanian rock band from Timişoara.- External links :*...
- Pro Musica
- Rain District
- Roşu şi Negru
- Semnal M
- SfinxSfinx (band)Sfinx was one of the most appreciated Romanian rock acts in the 1970s, along with Phoenix.-The early years :The band was formed in 1963, in Bucharest. It was singer and guitarist Octav Zemlicka who had the idea to start the band...
- Sideral
- Sincron
- Sport Sângeros III
- Timpuri NoiTimpuri Noi-History:Timpuri Noi was formed in 1980, and remained an underground act up to 1991. This was mainly due to what was perceived as "subversive lyrical content" in the Ceauşescu era. Incidentally, the name derives from a cliché of the period: its literal meaning is "New Times" , used to signify...
- PhoenixTranssylvania PhoenixTranssylvania Phoenix is a Romanian rock band formed in 1962 in Timişoara by guitarists Nicu Covaci and Kamocsa Béla. Guitarist Claudiu Rotaru, vocalist Florin "Moni" Bordeianu and drummer Ioan "Pilu" Ştefanovici completed the early lineup...
- TrooperTrooperTrooper may refer to:In military or police forces:* Trooper , a military private rank* Trooper , a rank used by some police agencies* State trooper, a peace officer in U.S...
- Ţapinarii
- Urma
- Vama
- Venus
- Viţa de vie
External links
- RockTube.ro, a Romanian rock videos' sharing website